Porch glider



B. M GEHEE Sept. 11, 1951 PORCH GLIDER Filed June 28, 1949 Patented Sept. 11, 1951 PORCH GLIDER Burnard McGehee, McComb, Miss., assignor of one-third to L. S. McClaren and one-third to N. B. Gillis, both of McComb, Miss.

Application June 28, 1949, Serial No. 101,865

This invention relates to an article of furniture, particularly to porch swings, gliders, chairs and the like.

Heretofore porch swings and chairs were well known in which the seat portion is supported on a linkage permitting forward and backward movement. However, in many of these prior devices this linkage is somewhat complicated, and furthermore the path of movement is not entirely linear, there being an arcuate component of movement due to the pivotal arrangement of the arms. Also, due to this pivotal movement, there is a certain vertical component of movement of the seat portion. Furthermore, in these prior devices the forward and backward movement is rather limited. The arcuate movement is unpleasant to some people and for this reason chairs and. swings of this general type are objectionable to them. The present invention relates to an improvement in this specific type of furniture which eliminates to a very great degree the objections mentioned above and at the same time provides a construction which is very simple, fool-proof and inexpensive to manufacture.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved glider, porch swing or chair which eliminates the disadvantage of the prior art and which is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a piece of furniture of the type described which will be very durable and will have a minimum of working parts and which will at the same time have aesthetic appeal and be very sturdy.

Other and further objects will become readily apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a partial cross section on line 33 of Figure 1.

The invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of the parts hereinafter described in detail and claimed in the appended claim. The embodiment of the invention selected for the purposes shown illustrating the invention comprises three main frame components, the main frame I which is adapted to rest on the ground or floor, an intermediate frame 2 which is suspended in the manner described hereinafter from the main frame I and a seat frame 3 which in turn is supported from 1 Claim. (Cl. 15561) the intermediate frame 2 in the manner hereinafter described. The main frame I comprises a bar of laterally spaced inverted U-shaped end members 4 and 5, each of which includes a front and rear vertical supporting element joined by central horizontal upper reach portions 40. and 5a respectively. The two end frames 4 and 5 are joined by a transverse element 6 to constitute an integral frame unit. The front vertical elements are preferably provided with snubbers 1 and 8 which are preferably made of rubber or other suitable resilient material and the transverse element 6 is provided with resilient cylindrical collars 9 and H which are preferably made of rubber or other suitable resilient material for the purpose of providing cushioning means for the main frame. It will be noted that the main frame I is made of one single piece of tubing bent into the shape and providing the elements shown in the drawings and mentioned above. This is one of the important features of the invention.

Like the main frame I, the intermediate frame 2 is made of a single piece of tubing which is bent in the shape shown in the drawings to have the laterally spaced upper horizontal reach elements l2 and I3, the rear vertically extending elements [4 and IS, the lower horizontal reach elements I! and I8, and the front transverse element 19. It is to be noted that the upper reach elements l2 and I3 are cantilever elements supported by the vertical rear elements I4 and I6, respectively, and since the seat frame 3 is supported from these elements, the inherent resiliency in the intermediate frame 2 will provide a limited amount of resiliency to the seat suspension. Also the seat frame 3 is made of a single piece of tubing bent in the shape shown in the drawings and comprising the transverse lower rear element 2|, horizontal reach elements 22 and 23, the front vertical elements 24 and 26 and rearwardly extending upper horizontal reach elements 21 and 28. The seat, per se, is of conventional construction and comprises a plurality of metal slats 29 which are held at the back by a suitable seat back 3| and at the front by a transverse element 32, the opposite ends of which are attached respectively to the upper elements 24 and 26 of the front vertical elements 24 and 26 of the seat frame.

The lower horizontal reach elements of the intermediate frame are pivotally suspended from the main frame I, the horizontal reach element I! being supported by means of vertical rods Ila and Ilb, the upper ends of which are pivotally suspended as at 11c and N11 to the horizontal reach element 411 and is pivotally connected to the horizontal reach element ll and pivoted to He and I if; the horizontal element l8 being supported by vertical rods 18a and I817 which are respectively pivoted to the horizontal reach a of the main frame I and the lower horizontal reach [8 of the intermediate frame 2 in a manner similar to that described for the opposite side of the intermediate frame. The details of all of the pivotal connections of this chair are shown in cross section in Figure 3. The lower horizontal reach elements 22 and 23 of the seat frame are pivotally suspended to the cantilever reach elements i2 and i3 respectively of the intermediate frame by suitable rods; the rods 22a being pivotally connected between the cantilever element l2 and horizontal reach element 22 and the rods 23a and 23b being pivotally connected between the cantilever reach element [3 and the horizontal reach element 23 of the seat frame.

It will be noted from the above description that all of the main components of the glider or chair are respectively made of separate tubes which are bent in the shape to provide the respective frame structures which are pivotally connected in such a manner that the seat will have substantially forward and backward linear movement, it being shown in the drawings and understood that the different sets cf rods which are pivotally connected between the respective frames are parallel so that, in effect, the seat is suspended from the main frame by means of a double parallelogram mechanism which eliminates any arcuate movement of the seat and substantially prevents the seat from being subjected to vertical components of movement when the chair is moved forward and backward. The cantilever elements I2 and 13 of the intermediate frame provide a certain amount of resiliency between the seat and the main frame. Furthermore, as the chair or glider is moved forward, the main part of the weight will be shifted towards the forward ends of the cantilever members l2 and i3 and will naturally be subjected to increase in weight and the forward ends will have a tendency to spring downward slightly which would tend to more or less compensate for any tendency of the seat to rise due to the movement of the rods.

From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that the present construction provides an improved chair or glider construction which will be inexpensive to manufacture and which at the same time would be very serviceable and present an aesthetic appearance.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many variations are possible without departing from the inventive concept. It is therefore desired that the invention not be limited except insofar as is made necessary by the prior art and by the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination in an article of furniture, a main frame comprising a pair of laterally spaced inverted substantially U-shaped elements each having a horizontal supporting portion, said main frame also including a transverse member rigidly connecting said end elements, a seat frame comprising a second pair of laterally spaced substantially U-shaped end elements rigidly connected together by a second transverse member, an intermediate frame comprising a third pair of laterally spaced U-shaped end elements rigidly connected by a third transverse member, all of said frames being disposed in nested relation and said seat frame and said intermediate frame eing disposed so that the respective sides of the U- shaped end elements thereof are disposed horizontally and the open ends of said end elements of said seat frame and said intermediate frame are directed toward opposite directions, a pair of links pivotally connecting said horizontal supporting portions of said main frame to the lower sides of the U-shaped end elements of said intermediate frame, and a second pair of links connecting the upper sides of said U-shaped end elements of said intermediate frame with the lower sides of said U-shaped end elements of said seat frame, the links of each pair being parallel.

BURNARD MCGEHEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

